


Thank Goodness for Shields & Husbands

by avengersincamphalfbloodstardis



Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Steve Rogers, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderswap, Good Husband Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis/pseuds/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis
Summary: After a rude politician hurts Steph's feelings, her husband comforts her when she needs him.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 114
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Relay Remix





	Thank Goodness for Shields & Husbands

**Author's Note:**

> This was such a joy to write, and I feel so fortunate to have written a work based off of such a gorgeous work. I was simply transfixed by the talent, and I hope I did it justice. Please enjoy!

Steph doesn’t like feeling weak. 

In fact, on a list of things she dislikes, she’d list it at just about number one, maybe only superseded by others flirting with her husband, or when aliens descend on Earth to claim it as their own. But at least if those events arise, she has tried and true methods of stopping them. In the event of flirting, she simply comes along and slides her hand around Tony and stakes her own claim as obviously as she can. She basically does the same with Earth; she just uses a shield instead of a hand.

But if she  _ feels  _ weak, then no shield in front of her makes her feel otherwise. There is rarely a physical cure in the vein of armor for something within one’s own brain.

Which is why, when a self-important politician or dismissive celebrity makes her feel less than, she can feel herself shrivel within, and wishes that having her shield made her feel stronger against these types of attacks. Or at the very least, if she had the shield with her, she could hit them with it. 

According to Nick Fury, this was frowned upon, so maybe she couldn’t anyway.

But it was one such blusterous politician that had forced her into hiding in the coatroom now, sobbing into a coat more expensive than her entire outfit (not counting her wedding ring). The fur was growing increasingly matted with her tears and snot, but she couldn’t bring herself to care much, or to perhaps move to another coat.

The coatroom was thankfully guarded by a rather worried looking attendant, a young girl with overly large glasses that magnified her already widened eyes. As nervous as the attendant was about Captain America crying in the area she was in charge of, she handled it quite well, making sure that anyone who came for their coat didn’t see the superhero weeping in the back, even speaking at a higher volume than strictly necessary to anyone that might hear the occasional louder hiccups and sobs.

This was where Tony found her, after being granted entry from the attendant, being recognized as Steph’s husband. The fight the attendant had been prepared to put up before realizing Tony was in fact, married to the crying woman, was admirable, and only made Steph appreciate her more.

“Darling,” Tony said softly, his hands sliding over her waist. She turned as his hands circled her, moving into the embrace he opened for her. “What happened, what is it?”

“Just-” she hiccuped, her eyes shut tight so she couldn’t see her husband, only feel him. “It’s stupid, so stupid, it’s just...”

“It’s not stupid if it made you feel like this,” he responded, pulling her in close. He lifted a hand to curl around her cheek, the warmth of his palm caressing the tear-stained skin. “Tell me, please.”

“That  _ asshole _ ,” Steph looked up for a moment over Tony’s head to glare back into the ballroom where the politician surely spewed his bullshit for more to hear. “Senator Murphy.” She took a deep breath as tears threatened to spill anew. “He just kept making comments about how  _ odd _ it was that a woman was chosen for the serum, why on Earth someone stronger,  _ better _ didn’t get it instead. Acted like a woman wasn’t capable of even carrying the shield, let alone wielding it.”

Steph squeezed her eyes tighter, though the tears still came, pressing out of the crinkled skin of her eyelids.

“He said that?” Tony asked, voice low but furious. Through the tears swimming in her gaze, Steph could see how cold his own eyes had gone.

“Yes,” she said with a shuddering breath. “It just... it hurt so much to hear. I know it shouldn’t have, he’s just a jerk—”

“He’s more than that,” Tony said, his hold around her tightening in protection. “He’s a goddamn worm, what a piece of  _ shit _ , my God, I can’t believe he said that to you.” He looked up into her face. “Tell me, do you want me to go say something, or would that make you feel worse?”

Steph shook her head. “Honestly, I want you to say something, but I don’t want you to leave me, and I can’t go back out there and let him see me crying. He already thinks I’m weak.”

“Hey,” Tony said, voice gentler. Her fingers skimmed her cheeks, wiping the hot tears away. “Crying doesn’t make you weak. You let me cry when I need to, don’t you?”

There was a pause, then Steph nodded.

“You always help me show when I’m hurt, with how badly Howard always talked about Stark men crying,” Tony murmured, bringing Steph’s hand to his chest, feeling both his heartbeat, and the outline of the arc reactor. “You’re no different, Steph. Crying is just letting your feelings out, nothing more, nothing less.”

After another pause, and a deep breath, Steph nodded again.

“Can we go home?” she asked, opening her eyes and looking into her husband’s warm ones. “Please?”

“Of course,” Tony said, pulling his phone out to send Happy a notice to pull the car around. “Let’s get you home and into some comfortable clothes. Maybe a warm bath first.”

“Together?” Steph asked hopefully, wiping at her eyes, surely smudging her already ruined makeup.

Tony smiled, arm around her waist. “Of course.” He moved to lead her out of the room when Steph looked back.

“Oh,” she said. “I kind of... ruined a coat by crying on it.”

Tony laughed softly, pulling his wallet free. “These people could stand to have a few of their pretty things taken from them. Flaunting how much money they have all night. It’s a charity event, but you’d think they were only here to show off how rich they are, I swear.” He handed the attendant a few bills. “Should cover either a new coat or dry cleaning.” He handed her another couple of bills, folded. “And a tip for you as well, for taking care of my wife.”

The attendant’s eyes widened again, nervous at the explicit thanks. She gave Steph a small comforting smile and a wave to the both of them as they left.

They avoided the doorway where the others could catch a glimpse and moved to the exit. Steph stumbled as her toe caught the edge of her dress in her ridiculous heels.

“Shit,” she said, clutching at Tony’s shoulder as she righted herself.

“Here, love,” he said, his other arm coming to sweep under her knees, lifting her into his embrace, carrying her bridal style.

She gratefully relaxed in her arms, letting her eyelids fall shut. The tears had morphed into a painful headache, and the jolts of the sobbing had made her stomach churn.

“Tony,” she murmured, letting herself feel as sad as she wanted, remembering her husband’s words. She was so looking forward to the bath with him that would make them both feel better. “I don’t feel well.”

“I know, baby,” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze. “We’re going home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, a comment and a kudos would be greatly appreciated.


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